Coat a stick with red paint and look at it. What are you seeing, a red stick? Not really: the actual stick disappeared under a coat of red paint. You are looking at a particular distribution of red paint in space, not at the stick. Sure, you know that the stick is still there. But the stick itself is no longer visible. So, when you think you are seeing a stick, you are actually looking at your own thought of the stick. Words are just like paints. Once we label a given something, we stop seeing that something and begin seeing our description of it. Meditate on how this relates to you. Meditate on what of what you are has disappeared under the paint of your self-descriptions.
Pavel Somov, Ph.D. is the author of Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time (New Harbinger, 2008) and of "Present Perfect: From Mindless Pursuit of What Should Be to Mindful Acceptance of What Is" (in press, New Harbinger Publications, in stores in July 2010). He is in private practice in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information visit
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About Pavel Somov, Ph.D.
My intent is to help you reclaim eating moments of your life with meaning and moderation; to help you leverage self-acceptance and compassion; and to help you rediscover your essential self.
Pavel Somov, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and the author of "Eating the Moment" (New Harbinger, 2008), "Present Perfect" (NH, 2010), "The Lotus Effect" (NH, 2010), "Smoke Free Smoke Break" (2011), and "Reinventing the Meal" (in press, 2012). He is in private practice in Pittsburgh, PA.
http://www.eatingthemoment.com
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Yes, this is why you must mix space into everything that arises "from" the ground bo Being as apperance-arising, it is the space that allows the "seeing" of the beneath and the surface at the "same time". This can only be done through the practice of mindfulness, through repeted "effort" to let go of fixating of the this or that and holding awareness of the context of all apperance, which is the emtiness of inherant characteristics, and the fabricated nature of all dualistic notions. Not that dualism is bad, just fake, it is useful, but not ultimate. Dz. Ponlop R. use to say let everything be dreamlike, apparant but not solid. Great metaphor Pavel, thanks.
Thanks, Samuel, for your very skillful elaboration. While I agree that it takes practice to "see" things like that full-time, I also think that at least an occasional popping-out of this dream-realm of words and labels can have some instant therapeutic benefits. Mere realization that "I am not this word that I'm calling myself" is already a potent step towards self-care and coping. Thank you again.
Pavel
Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com
Pavel, it cannot be grasped with your hands when it is longer than your arms..how can it be grasped if it is further away from your conscious Awareness..so it boils down to non existence in a dimensional form of what you want to make of it in perception only…enjoy*
May you live in peace and harmony surround you always(+)
Dom*
I admire your talent at helping people. Always love your blogs man!
Thanks, Phllip B., for generous feedback. Be well.
Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com
Best not get stuck with a stick, particularly in the eye,
Jesus wasn't keen on a plank 
I'm not keen on 'fake' though, Samuel. 'Useful,' I like. 'Infinite' I'm 'in' the 'middle' of finding 'out'……….you too?
O u Pavel, thanks
ed
Ed, the i finding out already is the infinite, time is created in order for the "i"to do the editing first hand, to rough cut scenes as they come, the the full film will play upon the enlightenment of all sentient beings, for then all in will be petered out, leaving only the middle way of no extremes, neither existence nor non existence. Fake is OK because it falls away, like scaffolding.
Peter-ed out, Samuel? Like he/I chickening out of the dark night of fellow man's judgement?
Ha, yes, that scaffolding! The 'heartlessness' of those who would make we carry it down that middle way!
Who wrote this script? What deep meaning?
Hmm, coat of red paint in those warring troubled plains and heights.
Peace be,
ed
Nice discussion, folks. Thanks for extending the theme.
Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) and of "Present Perfect: a Mindfulness Approach to Letting Go of Perfectionism and the Need to